Chair.



G. R. SGHWEIKERT & W. E. HEINZ.

CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1911.

1,024,526. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON. D. C.

G. R. SGHWEIKERT & W. E. HEINZ. CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED IULY25,1911.

1,024,526. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

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Z6 v 2 INVENTUR WITNESSES d i 69.6, E Z M Q ab?! I M BY ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAP c0., WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. SCHWEIKERT, OF IRVINGTON, AND WILLIAM E. HEINZ, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Application filed July 25, 1911. Serial N 0. 640,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE R. ScHwnI- 1mm and \VILLIAM E. HEINZ, citizens of the United States, residing at Irvington and Newark, respectively, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved chair and easel or screen, the chair being adapted to be used in the way of a Morris chair and forms a chair which is easily placed in position for use as a chair, and being also adapted for an easy and quick adjustment to different heights and degrees of inclination.

The chair is also designed to be folded or collapsed so that it can be used as an easel and more particularly as a screen, the seat and the back portion of the chair being adapted to be substantially alined, and the braces being brought closer to the frame of the chair so as to place it nearer vertical and adaptit for use as an ornamental easel or screen.

' The invention is further designed to provide a chair of this kind which when folded has all its parts held in place, a catch being provided for holding the extension of the seat against the back of the chair, and a holding means is provided for holding the braces in closer position to the frame to hold it vertical as an easel or screen, and with tripping means for releasing the last-men tioned holding means and permitting the engagement of the rear extension of the seat with the braces to fix the parts in position to form a chair.

The invention further consists in armrests which are adapted to swing parallel with the frame when the seat is substantially alined with the back of the chair, these hinged arms forming rests for a picture or a similar device if it is to be used as an easel.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of a piece of furniture folded up to form an easel and having a flexible apron of an ornamental nature to be brought down over the front of the chair. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the article of furniture in use as a chair. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken centrally through Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken centrally through Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a back view of the chair when it is in the position shown in Fig. 4.

The chair consists of a frame which is preferably rectangular and consists of two side-pieces and has thereon a back 11 which extends across the chair between the sidepieces, and the bottom portion 12 thereof is inclined with respect to the back 11, being preferably held by suitable braces 13. A seat which consists of side-pieces 14 and the seat portion 15 is hinged as at 16 so as to swing between the side-pieces of the frame, the seat having the rear extension which is provided for by means of the side-pieces being slightly offset and extended as at 17, the side-pieces being joined together by a transverse brace 18. The two members 19 and 20 of a catch form means for securing the seat when it is swung down to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 by holding the extension up against the backof the chair. hen in this position the seat is swung downward so as to be substantially alined with the back of the seat and present an approximately fiat surface at the front. To permit the upward swinging of the extension, the portion 12 is cut-away as at 12 (Fig. 5) to permit the parts 17 0f the sidepieces 14C to swing upward. Arm-rests 21 are hinged as at 22 to the side-pieces.

Suitable links or hinged connections 23 are hinged as at 24 on each side of the seat, being preferably hinged to the side-pieces 1 1, and are hinged at their upper ends as at 25 to the arm-rests, and when the seat is swung down, the armrests 21 are also swung down, being pulled down by the pivotal connections 28, and at their upper edges, that is at the hinged connections 22, they form rests on which a picture or any ornamental device can be rested whereby the device is adapted for use as an easel, as will be evident from Fig. 1. Braces 26 are hinged as at 27 to the back of the side-pieces of the frame 10 and rest with their lower ends on the floor. A cross-bar 28 extends from one brace to the other and is adapted to fit in a notch 29 in an arm 30 which is fastened to the bottom of the back of the chair. This arm 30, with its notch, forms a holding means by engaging the crossrod and preventing the braces from slipping, whereby the chair is held in the position shown in Figs. 1 and. 3.

0n the extension of the seat portion, that is on each end of the ends 17 of the sidepieces let, is arranged an engaging means consisting of a cap 31 having a series of alternate recesses 32 and hooks 33, and extending parallel with the hooks and at a distance therefrom sufficient to receive the cross-rod 28, is a fender 3i. A transverse bar 35 connects the ends 17 of the sidepieccs 14. lVhen the chair is to be used as a chair and transformed from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4f, the finger-piece on the member 20 of the catch is raised, and the extension being heavier than the seat, it falls by gravity, swinging on the pivotal connection 16. The cross-bar hits the arm 30 which is flexible, being made of wood or similar material, and gives it enough movement to release the eross-rod 28 from the notch 29. The cross-bar is preferably disposed, as shown in the drawing, to strike the arm 30 at about the top of the notch 29. As soon as the cross-rod 28 is released the braces 26 begin to slide back, since the frame of the chair is now free to fall backward. By this time, however, that is, by the time the crossbar 35 strikes the arm 30, the hooks 33 on the fender 34L are in position to receive the cross-rod 28 and it is automatically stopped usually by engagement in the first of the series of hooks It will thus be evident that no other manipulation is necessary by the operator when transforming the device from an easel into a chair and to operate the member 20 of the catch. If the chair is not adjusted properly, the operator by grasping hold of the chair at the top of the back and pulling it slightly forward, causes the cross-rod 28 to ride forward from the hook by which it is engaged, and fall on the fender St along which it travels, and when it is in the proper position for engaging another desired hook, a quick release of the top of the back by the hand will cause the cross-rod 28 to slide into the recess 32 opposite which it is at the time of the release.

It will be noted in this construction that the seat is a greater distance from the floor the more nearly vertical the frame of the chair is placed, by reason of the pivotal conncction being brought up at the same time. This overcomes the ditliculty in the usual Morris chair of having a fixed seat portion with no facilities for increasing or decreasing the height of the seat portion from the floor. It will also be noted in this construction that the arm-rests are also parallel with the seat portion, forming a comfortable chair no matter what its adjustment.

When the seat is to be changed from the position shown in Fig. f to that shown in Fig. 3, the extension of the seat portion is raised until the two members 19 and 20 of the catch interlock, and when these interlock, the cross-head of the brace has becoi'ne seated, by its own movement, in the notch 29 of the arm 30 and the chair is again fixed in the position shown in Fig. When in this position, the flat surface can be utilized for holding an ornamental strip 35 which is preferably mounted on a roller 36 in the rear of and at the top of the back 11, being mounted in brackets 37, the roller being of the usual spring type. This ornamental strip is shown partly pulled down in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, but it can be pulled down all the way to the bottom, and when in this position it forms a screen of an ornamental nature, and when the chair is folded. up it takes up but little room and can be used as an ornamental screen, as will be understood. When the chair is used as a chair the screen can be rolled up as in Fig. st.

Having thus described ourinventimi,what we claim is 1. A chair comprising a frame having its upper part forming the back of the chair, a seat hinged to the frame and having a rear extension heavier than the seat so as to fall by gravity to trip a holding means, braces hinged to the frame above the hinges of the seat, an adjustable engaging means for fixing the seat and braces in different positions, a catch for holding the extension against the back of the chair whereby the seat is held substantially alined with the back of the chair, and a holding means on the back of the chair for securing the braces when they are released from the engaging means, said holding means being tripped by the descent of the seat extension to permit the engagement of the braces and the engaging means.

2. A chair comprising a frame having its upper part forming the back of the chair, a seat hinged to the frame and having a rear extension projecting therefrom, said rear extension being offset so as to fit against the back of the chair and permit the seat to be in substantial. alinement with the back of the chair, braces pivoted at the top ends to the frame above the pivotal connection of the seat, a rod connecting the braces, adjustable engaging means on the end of the extension to receive the rod to hold the braces, the frame and the seat in adjusted positions, means for holding the seat in its folded position, and a holding means for securing the braces when they are released from the engaging means.

3. A chair comprising a frame having its upper part forming the back of the chair, a seat hinged to the frame, a rear extension on the seat, braces pivotally connected to the frame, a holding means for securing the braces when the extension of the seat is raised, a catch for securing the extension of the seat against the back of the chair, a tripping means on the back adapted to release the holding means when the extension of the seat falls by gravity, and engaging means on the extension to secure the braces when the holding means is released.

at. A chair comprising a frame having its upper part forming the back of the chair, a seat hinged to the frame and having a rear extension projecting therefrom, said rear extension being adapted to fit against the back of the chair and permit the seat to be in substantial alinement with the back of the chair, a catch on the back of the chair for engaging the extension to hold it in its folded position, braces pivoted at their top ends to the frame above the pivotal connection of the seat, a rod connecting the braces, an arm extending from the back of the chair and having a notch therein, the arm having a slight spring action, the notch being adapted to receive the rod connecting the braces to hold the braces, the scat portion when released from its catch descending by gravity and engaging the arm to release the braces from the notch therein,

and an engaging means on the extension of the seat for engaging the rod when it is released from the arm.

5. A chair comprising a frame having its upper part forming the back of the chair, a seat hinged to the frame and having a rear extension projecting therefrom, said rear extension being adapted to fit against the back of the chair and permit the seat to be in substantial alinement with the back of the chair, a catch on the back of the chair for engaging the extension to hold it in its folded posit-ion, braces pivoted at their top ends to the frame above the pivotal connection of the seat, a rod connecting the braces, an arm extending from the back of the chair and having a notch therein, the arm having a slight spring action, the notch being adapted to receive the rod connecting the braces to hold the braces, the seat portion when released from its catch descending by gravity and engaging the arm to release the braces from the notch therein, a series of hooks on the extension of the seat portion adapted to be engaged by the rod of the braces, and a fender to receive the rod when it is released from the arm and guide it to one of the hooks to hold the chair in position.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing, we have hereunto set our hands this 24th day of July 1911.

GEORGE R. SGHl/VEIKERT. lVILLIAM E. HEINZ.

WVitnesses:

7M. H. OAMFIELD, M. A. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

